FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT
RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2004
NOTICE: NOT-OD-04-027
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and
the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in
the following case:
Pat J. Palmer, University of Iowa: Based on the report of an
investigation conducted by the University of Iowa (UI Report), the
respondent’s guilty plea in a state criminal case, and additional
analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. Public
Health Service (PHS) found that Pat J. Palmer, former Assistant
Research Scientist at UI, engaged in scientific misconduct (1) in
research supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant R01
MH55284 entitled “Collaborative Linkage Study of Autism;” (2) in grant
proposals 1 R10 MH55284-01, 2 R01 MH55284-04 (both entitled
“Collaborative Linkage Study of Autism”), 1 R01 DC05067-01, and 1 R55
DC05067-01A1 (both entitled “The Genetics of Specific Speech and
Language Disorders”); and (3) in obtaining salary support from
postdoctoral training grant T32 MH14620.
PHS found that Ms. Palmer engaged in scientific misconduct by:
(1) fabricating interview records for at least six interviews of
autism patient families;
(2) fabricating her claims for a B.S. from the University of Northern
Iowa, a M.S./M.P.H. from the University of California at Berkeley, and
a Ph.D. in Epidemiology/Bio-statistics from the University of Iowa in
biographical sketches that were submitted to NIH in four grant
applications (see above); and
(3) fabricating her claim that she obtained a Ph.D. in
Epidemiology/Bio-statistics from the University of Iowa in the
biographical sketches of a training grant application, so she received
salary support from July 1995 through June 1998 for postdoctoral
training under NIH training grant T32 MH14620.
Ms. Palmer also engaged in dishonest conduct that demonstrates that she
is not presently responsible to be a steward of Federal funds. She
falsified that she was a coauthor of several published articles, by
inserting her name or replacing another name with her name on 10
articles listed in her biographical sketch for four NIH grant
applications (see above):
(a) Canby, C.A., [Palmer, P.J.], & Tomanek, R.J. “Role of lowering
arterial pressure on maximal coronary flow with and without regression
of cardiac hypertrophy.” American Journal of Physiology 257:H1110-
H1118, 1989.
(b) Stegink, L.D., Brummel, M.C., Filer, L.J., Jr, & [Palmer, P.J.,
replaced Baker, G.L.]. “Blood methanol concentrations in one-year old
infants administered grade [sic] doses of aspartame.” Journal of
Nutrition 113:1600-1606,1983.
(c) Stegink, L.D., Koch, R., [Palmer, P.J., replaced Blaskovics,
M.E.], Filer, L.J., Jr., Baker, G.L., & McDonnell, J.E. “Plasma
phenylalanine levels in phenylketonuric heterozygous and normal adults
administered aspartame at 34mg/kg body weight.” Toxicology 20:81-90,
1981.
(d) Stegink, L.D., Brummel, M.C., [Palmer, P.J., replaced McMartin,
K.], Martin-Amat, G., Filer, L.J., Jr., Baker, G.L., & Tephly, T.R.
“Blood methanol concentrations in normal adult subjects administered
abuse doses of aspartame.” Journal of Toxicology & Environmental
Health 7:281-290,1981.
(e) Stegink, L.D., Reynolds, W.A., Pitkin, R.M., Cruikshank, D.P., &
[Palmer, P.J.]. “Placental transfer of taurine in rhesus monkeys.”
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 24:2685-2692,1981.
(f) Stegink, L.D., Filer, L.J., Jr, Baker, G.L., & [Palmer, P.J.,
replaced Brummel, M.C.]. “Plasma and erythrocyte amino acid levels of
adult humans given l00mg/kg body weight aspartame.” Toxicology 14:131-
140, 1979.
(g) Weiss, N.S., Szekely, D.R., Austin, D.F., & [Palmer, P.J.].
“Increasing incidence of endometrial cancer in the United States.” New
England Journal of Medicine 294:1259-1262, 1976.
(h) Elwood, E.K., & [Palmer, P.J., replaced Apostolopoulos, A.X].
“Analysis of developing enamel of the rat. II.Electrophoretic and amino
acid studies.” Clinical Metabolic Studies [sic] [should be Calcified
Tissue Research] 17:327-335, 1975.
(i) Aronow, W.S., Goldsmith, J.R., Kern, J.C., Cassidy, J, [Palmer,
P.J.], Johnson, L.L., Adams, W., & Nelson, W.H. “Effect of smoking
cigarettes on cardiovascular hemodynamics.” Archives of Environmental
Health 28, 330-332, 1974.
(j) Seltzer, C.C., Friedman, G.D., Siegelaub, A.B., & [Palmer, P.J.,
replaced Collen, M.F.]. “Smoking habits and pain tolerance.” Archives
of Environmental Health 29,170-172, 1974.
Ms. Palmer has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement (Agreement
) in which she has voluntarily agreed for a period of three (3) years,
beginning on January 26, 2004:
(1) to exclude herself from any contracting or subcontracting with any
agency of the United States Government and from eligibility or
involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United States Government
referred to as “covered transactions” as defined in the debarment
regulations at 45 C.F.R. Part 76; and
(2) to exclude herself from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS
including but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee,
board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant.
INQUIRIES
For further information contact:
Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750
Rockville, MD 20852
Telephone: 301- 443-5330